Clusters of bell-shaped, white flowers tinged with red bloom in spring. Flowers are followed by tasty blue berries, which ripen in summer. The fruit is a favorite among humans as well as birds, small mammals and box turtles. Lowbush blueberry has lustrous blue-green leaves that turn bronze, scarlet and crimson in fall. It grows well in dry, acidic, nutrient poor soil.

Benefits

Fragrant flowers provide nectar for butterflies and other pollinators

Larval food source for several butterflies

Fruit is relished by birds and other wildlife after it ripens in summer

Good nesting sites and cover for birds

Very cold tolerant ground cover that grows well in dry, acidic soil

Homeowner Growing and Maintenance Tips

Plant in full sun to part shade. Grows easily in light, well-drained, acidic soil. Tolerant of a wide range of temperatures and rainfall. Can be planted as a ground cover on slopes.

Height8-12 Inches

Spread2-3 Feet

USDA Hardiness Zone 2-5

Native Range

Upland woods, rocky outcrops and barrens; Labrador and Newfoundland to Manitoba south to Minnesota Illinois, New Jersey, and in the mountains to North Carolina.

Native Trivia

Because Lowbush Blueberry is a densely branched shrub that often forms large colonies, it provides significant protective cover for ground-nesting birds and other wildlife.